Improved ditching-machine



dem sata HENRY'BENTT, O'F LINDEN, CALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent No. 96,540, dated November 9, 1 869.

.'*F-u-I IMPROVE!) DITCHING--MACHINR The Schedule referred to in tnese Letters Patent and making part of the `same To all whom it mag/concern.- l

Be it known than LHE'NRY BENEm'Of' Linden, in the county of San Joaquin, and State of California, haveinvented a new and'improved Ditching-Machine; andA I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in theart to m'ake and use the same, ,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingI part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient ditching-machine.

It consists of a large drum, having two end rims, united by steel or other bars, suitable for cutters, arranged .parallel wth the shaft, and pitched slightly out of the radial lines, between which are followers, which recede, and permit the cutters" to settle into the earth,- to ll the spaces between them, and arethen forced out to'discharge the earth after it has been carried up bythe wheel against a scraper following inthe rear, an'd swung as a guide to prevent thel discharge, until the earth has been carried to the proper point to be delivered to an elevating andspouting-apparatus, which the invention also lcomprises, all as lhereinafter more fully specified.

Figure l represents an elevation, partly broken, of

lout for discharging the earth taken up.v

I G represents a scraper, suspended from the rear end of the fiamc,ar1angedto follow the wheel closely, and

to serve as a guide to prevent the earth from discharging too soon. l

H represents a chute, which receives the discharged earth, and conveys it to an elevator, consisting of an endless belt, I, and buckets, K, supported on posts, L,

at the front ofthe machine, and operated by a chain, M, deriving motion from the axis ofthe drum.

In front of the said elevator, a'spout, N, is arranged, which takes the learth `from the elevator and discharges -it at one side of the machine.

The front of the frame is supported on an axle and wheels, O.

The drum rests on the ground, and is causedto revolve when power is applied at the front of the mamhineto draw it along the ground.

Whenso moving, the Weightwill force the rims,`

which are sharpened, and the blades() into the ground, driving the followers D upward, and filling the -spaces between the blades with earth, which will be so packed as to adhere sutliciently together, with the assistance .of the scraper and guidev G, to cause the earth to be carried -up around .the wheel for discharge upon the chute H. The said discharge is effected by the elevation of the followers by the actionv of the stems thereof riding up 'the eccentric rims F.

This machine will dig ditches or trenches with vertical walls, discharging the earth therefrom upon the bank to one side, to any required depth, the said machine being drawn along the bottoms of the ditches as many rtimes as may be required to accomplish the work, cutting each time an amount due to the capacity of the weight of the machine to sink the drum into the ground.

'Ihe front wheels may be placed sudiciently near together to permit them to run in the ditch.

Having th'us described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The spading-drum A, constructed substantially as specified, andv provided with the followers'D,-and combined with the scraper and guide Gr, and the eccentric rings F, all substantially as described.

2. AThe combination, with the spading-drum, uf thev 

